Innocence
by StarryEyedLight
Summary: Risen from the ash world of Char, Kerrigan is forced into accepting a fate far beyond her control. Either control the rampaging swarm as the Queen of Blades once did, or have them become the tools of a far more sinister creature... !SC2 ENDGAME SPOILERS!
1. Chapter 1

**Innocence**

**Waking**

**Hyperion - Med bay**

**02:00 – Shipboard Time**

It was like waking up from a dream; a dream that was full of confusing emotions and urges. She had before the dream had begun, experienced vivid if bewildering dreams caused by the combination of waking minds and dreaming soldiers around her, but the dream she had been utterly torn from was different.

It hadn't been a dream.

To some innocent part of her, it had been. She hadn't done it, not that smidge of humanity that had survived the process, the one that continuously stopped her waking mind from killing Jim; that fuelled her desire for revenge on Duke and Mengsk, and that part of her that always felt a pinch of pain when her old friends fell before her eyes.

She had murdered billions of people, and while scientists and philosophers could argue semantics with her, she had made that decision. She alone had used her immensepsisonicabilities to push the swarm along, to make the Zerg the dominant force in the galaxy, hell in the damn universe.

Sarah Kerrigan wasn't happy.

She stared up at the bleak, oddly tinted blue ceiling of the cold, calculating med bay and found herself immensely depressed. The doctor had assured her, it was normal. Dealing with what the Queen of Blades had done wouldn't go away for a while, and her brain needed a way of dealing with it. So depression was something everyone had accepted.

Was she really _here_?

Not that she didn't like the idea of being on the Hyperion, carried here by James Raynor, who had gone from Confederate Marshall to heroic-terrorist. It was just strange; some part of her, a part of her that remained Zerg, and thus had Zerg tendencies, didn't feel right. It was cold here, perhaps because everything was so god damn plain and _simple, _but another reason could be she didn't have her armour carapace she had grown. It had trapped the heat in, keeping her core warm and comfortable.

Also, and very good point: she been dwelling on _Char. _Char was not known to be a particular cold planet.

Now it was empty.

Or a good section of it.

She wondered, briefly, if her cerebrate had died in the blast caused by the Xel'Naga artifact. She had given it the order to go to Tarsonis, to personally deal with some damn Dominion forces that were being problematic and nuke-happy. But she wasn't exactly sure if it had at all made it there before the artifact had let a massive energy wave through the primary hive cluster.

If it had died, there was no one to control the Zerg. Not that a cerebrate could keep control of a swarm that big for long, but hell, some control was probably better than none. Without control, yes, the Zerg might turn on each other, but she had evolved them somewhat differently. The Queens and Overseers were a good deal more intelligent and independent than before, if they could keep control through sheer will, they would focus their efforts on...

On what exactly?

On surviving, probably. If Kerrigan didn't give them an outstanding order of 'go kill somebody', they would be happy to dwell wherever they were and try to stick it out until the next order came in. There was still clusters of hatcheries and what-not on Mara Sara after all, hidden deep under the surface. They had swarmed when she began her search for the (damned) artifact that had literally arrived on her doorstep later, but once she recalled a lot of those forces to Char to defend her (which they had, she noted, definitely _failed_ at), the hatcheries once again went quiet and were happy just being there.

Of course she wasn't fully human, so maybe, the Zerg would keep somepsisonic link to her and just be calm.

_Doubtful._

She shifted a little, bringing her hand up and flexing it. Her eyes were critical as she stared at it, she had fingernails again, and her skin was soft, smooth and...

Her human mind went: normal, and her Zerg mind went: weak.

Then came the issue of clothing.

She hadn't really worn clothing for four years; she had lost her suit a year or two after her infestation. So even wearing the standard military issue jumpsuit was weird. Undergarments were strange as well, and she tugged at the sleeve of her jacket, wanting to tear off the sleeves so try and expose more skin.

Kerrigan knew how that would end though, she would end up tearing off more clothing then allowed. And though Jim would probably want another chance to see her naked (_pig_), she didn't want that. Not right now, and she didn't want to embarrass herself on a ship full of people who weren't sure if they should hate her, or greet her. She held back a sigh, knowing that the second chance at a human life wasn't going to be easy.

_Not that I deserve it. _She frowned, reaching up tentatively; she ran her fingers over her hair.

Or what... Could pass at hair, she supposed. Some strange scientist had commented on how her hair was somewhat like strands when they were viewed under a microscope. Thick, and almost alien (how appropriate). Hers had that definite Zerg-like appearance about them, spider-like in a sense, and oddly sensitive.

Were they like that before?

Of course, to be fair, her idea of pain hadn't been the same when she was infested. She had marched down to Raynor's base camp a couple of times, and had felt the full blown fury of a Yatamo cannon. She had shrugged it off, it was only after ten shells from a artillerizedsiege tank and a couple of backlash rockets from a banshee had the second Yatamo cannon stung.

Not really hurt, but stung.

Her hair also had a red tinge to it now, attempting to return to her roots. She stiffly chuckled at the possibilities of ever being Sarah again. She was stuck as the proverbial 'Kerrigan'; a name that had been around both before Tarsonis, and then after as the Queen of Blades.

Jim had given her quarters, and had stationed two of his best men outside of it. He had said it was just a precaution (throwing 'darlin' on the end of the insurance), and while she understood the measure, it had kind of hurt. She wondered, if she eventually proved herself as loyal and in control of herself, that they would vanish.

They had promptly escorted her down here, to the med bay, when she had begun screaming and having something of a psisonic fit.

While the doctor had little knowledge on Zerg physiology and health problems (to which she had sort of defensively responded the Zerg had no such faults), the scientist who looked like he really needed to get out more, had gone on a rant about how the Xel'Naga artifact had temporarily disabled her psisonic abilities to that of a normal human, but upon escaping the effected zone and having time to recover, they had come back.

And without her psisonic dampener, or any measure of discipline, she had promptly picked up every single thought in the entire fleet orbiting Char.

Not. Fun.

So, she had a dampener placed in her skull again, and had been given leave to go back to her quarters.

Feeling drained, she had opted to just... Stay there.

It had been insulting when Stetmann had claimed she had no discipline, but on that note she had remembered her control had been over, although high, human-level psisonics. After becoming the Queen of Blades (or daughter of the Overmind), her power had jumped, and after she overcame such dampeners and other such things the Confederacy had implanted in her mind, her psisonic power had... Just kept rowing in power.

So when Raynor, who had appeared suddenly after hearing Kerrigan was screaming and having a, lack of better term, shit-fit, asked why she hadn't gone insane or killed herself with her power that would probably deteriorate her mind at an outstanding rate, Stetmann had replied with something Jim hadn't wanted to hear.

Sarah Kerrigan, wasn't completely human. She was 13% Zerg, and all that mutation was situated in her brain, or most of it anyways. Her heart was Zerg, and her genetic coding was still modified a tad, she had glands that, when triggered by adrenaline, would make her stronger then a human, and regeneration would kick in (or so he assumed).

She had heard Jim's thoughts, and he had been so conflicted about whether to be happy or angry about the news he had to tell himself to shut up mentally.

That had amused her somewhat, but the outstanding issue of still Zerg had overwhelmed even herself.

After that, Jim had ordered the others out and stayed with her, talking with her kindly, if a little cautiously. He had asked if she knew about the prophecy and she admitted to knowing tidbits, she had only pieced it together herself, seeing as Zeratul had stolen the Xel'Naga clues and had subsequently destroyed them. Piecing everything together had proven difficult for herself and her trusted cerebrate. A cerebrate that had gone on to earn the name Sekhmet after it had attacked a Dominion outpost and gained access to a digital library of everything in human history.

_Sekhmet..._

It had taken a great liking to Earth, and though it held no love for the humans that dwelled there, it had been fascinated by ancient Earth and the gods that ruled it.

Raynor had told her what Zeratul had shown him: that she was key in the survival of the Protoss, and the Terrans, hell even the Zerg would fall to this hybrid threat. Raynor had also mentioned Duran, to which Kerrigan had felt herself grow annoyed at the idea he had used her. Whether he was millions of centuries old or not, if... No, _when_ she found him, she would end him.

Then, her hero had gone on to state that the dampener weakened the very abilities they needed to help control the Zerg and keep them from the enemy.

_Joy oh bliss, either wear the dampener and die in the fires of the very swarm that spared you last time, or go insane and kill everyone as your mind can't comprehend the power the Overmind gave you._

So, reluctantly he had told her:

"I'm contacting Zeratul in the mornin', see if he can help us."

She hadn't experienced fear in four years.

Feeling it again, had made her Zerg mind squirm and want to run and hide. Of course, being on a bloody ship meant there wasn't any where to burrow, or rocks to hide behind. So she had just kept lying on the bed, accidentally projecting her fear onto Jim.

"It'll be alright."

"The only thing keeping him from killing me is the fact he needs me." Kerrigan had retorted, burying her fear.

"He has reason." Jim admitted, not sparing Kerrigan his bluntness. "He's torn himself apart over what happened to their Matriarch."

_I told her not to do it. _She whispered to herself, feeling some semblance of comfort she had tried to stop the nefarious Queen.

So all that had come to pass and Kerrigan was reduced to lying here. Waiting for the inevitable meeting with the Protoss she had spared on Ulaan because...

Why had the Queen spared Zeratul? She had claimed their petty squabbles didn't matter anymore, that the dark taint eating away at the back of her mind, the same taint that had driven the Overmind almost mad, would overtake everything. She hadn't tried to save Zeratul, she feared him. She feared what the Queen had done, but didn't want to die at his hands. Not to mention the Protoss had always intimidated her.

So why had the Queen spared him?

She had pondered this for an hour or so, and it drove her mad. The Queen knew she existed, had she hid that part of her plot from her? So Sarah couldn't interfere?

Nervousness wrapped itself around Kerrigan's heart. If the Queen reared her head again, Jim wouldn't spare her a second time.

_Only time will tell._

"Miss."

She looked over. Matt Horner, Jim's right-hand man. He was young, and yet such a capable captain. Kerrigan just stared at him, and he didn't seem to appreciate being under her naturally critical, peridot gaze.

"You're oddly polite." She stated, raising a brow at him. She sat up quickly, and she watched him instinctively flinch and move back. Hand dropping to the firearm slung around his waist. "Polite, but jumpy." She didn't need to read his mind to figure this out. "Jim sent you, didn't here?"

"He insisted I try and get to know you." Horner replied coldly, his eyes burning into hers.

"You can leave if you'd like," She didn't break the stare. Breaking it meant weakness, something in her, probably Zerg, didn't want to show weakness.

"Well he'd like you to meet Prince Mengsk."

Kerrigan narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"Mengsk's son, he helped free you from your infestation." Horner paused, hand now firmly resting on the hilt of the gun. "Well, most of it. Either way, he believes it's fair for you to meet Valerian."

She stood up, not really convinced. "And what's stopping the Prince from killing me?"

"Besides Jim?" The man smirked, motioning for her to lead the way. "I doubt he could kill you, to be honest. He might shoot you, but I'd imagine you'd just recover from that."

_Like how I've recovered from my psisonic migraine?_

"I'd rather not find out."

The two, massive armoured body guards joined them, their footsteps making the bare-footed Kerrigan careful where she stepped. She didn't want to get her foot stomped on, and mentally noted how she should probably be wearing shoes for this formal meeting. However, as clothes baffled her and maybe annoyed her, socks and shoes, as they had found out, drove her mad. She had actually snarled at the boots went she tried to put them on and decided it was a bad idea until she learnt to control the Zerg part of her mind.

They led her down a lengthy hallway, to where they stepped onto a lift that lowered them down several floors. They weren't going to the bridge, another precaution, and something she definitely saw coming. There was no way they'd like a partially infested human onto the bridge when she hadn't proved herself yet. Eventually she'd be allowed up there, but for now, it was the Hyperion's recently dusted off briefing room.

She entered, and found herself staring a couple of familiar faces, and a few she didn't recognize.

Jim was nearest to the door, and instinctive, she hurried over to him. Partially hiding behind him as that fear made her squirm again and want to hide. She imagined this was what it was like for a Zergling to see a far superior Ultralisk. It would move out of the way and/or hide. It didn't dare oppose superiors. From the safety of behind Jim, she watched Horner move to the other side of the table.

From Horner her eyes travelled to a ghost, a younger woman then herself, with blond hair and a suit that was familiar to the one she used to have. She was special, like Kerrigan had been; Sarah wouldn't be surprised if she had earned that get-up. Past that, she had similarities to the former-ghost, her hair was bound back in a tight pony-tail, bangs, though longer then Kerrigan's, framed her face, and her headset was a little newer then most spec ops.

The woman returned her stare, and she could hear the woman's thoughts so clearly.

_'Nova.'_

She nodded, and she went to the next person. A man, with dark skin and a moustache, he was mixing his arm. Her mind did something odd, recalling memories that weren't entirely hers, but of a lesser Zerg. A Hydralisk had attacked him, spraying him with spikes coated in venom. That could explain why his arm was missing, and thus one sleeve was tucked neatly away. He had a very dominate persona about him, standing perfectly straight, with a stern, disciplined expression.

"General Warfield," she spoke, recalling his name. He gave her something of a smirk and nodded.

"Ma'am."

Then there was another woman, dressed in somewhat casual wear except for the lab coat she donned. She had brown hair tied back in a bun, with glasses sitting nicely on her nose. Her expression was cold, and loathing. She glared daggers at Kerrigan, who narrowed her eyes a little in return.

"Dr. Hanson," she paused, letting her name settle. "From Agria."

_Oh. _Kerrigan's own glare lightened a tad, but not much. She had realized she was no longer hiding behind Jim, Zerg don't back down from any challenge.

Next was someone she hadn't expected to see, not on a human ship. A lot had changed apparently in her human absence. She had been aware of Raynor's friendship with the Protoss, but she hadn't expected one to be here, not so soon.

It was the first female Protoss the Sarah part of her mind had ever seen. Standing tall, she was dressed in slim, golden armour and had bright glowing blue eyes. She was regal and proud, something that was admirable about the Protoss. Something told the woman that the alien she set her eyes on now was from the fallen Khala of Aiur.

_Fantastic..._

"_We will reclaim Aiur from your brood's tainted grasp soon enough."_ She spat psisonically, making Dr. Hanson and Horner both slightly flinch from the venom dripping from the words.

That Zerg roared up into her, and she gritted her teeth as she bit back a snarl. "Have it then, a dead world depleted of all useful resources. Typical Firstborn world."

Before the female Protoss had a chance to leap across the room and sever Kerrigan's head, Jim shot a look at the offending woman before stepping between the two. "Sarah Kerrigan, meet Executor Selendis." He sighed. "Try and play nice."

She wasn't sure who he was referring to, but the two women seemed to back down from either's challenge.

The final person in the room was the Prince himself. He stood proud, like Selendis, but didn't have as powerful of an aura as the Protoss. And his straight stand wasn't as disciplined as Warfield's, in fact everything about the prince roared spoiled to her, but she supposed there was probably some story there others would find worth noting.

Just not her.

"Prince Valerian," He bowed his head. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Queen."

Kerrigan raised an eyebrow. "I'm not the Queen of Blades."

"_Tch," _Selendis added. _"Changing your hide's colour does not change your loyalties. You are the Queen of Blades."_

"Are you dead?" Kerrigan shot back, irritated. She could see the uncertainty on everyone's expression except Nova and Jim. "No? Then I'm not the Queen of Blades."

"Kerrigan then," Valerian's posture suggested he was apologetic. "Forgive me, your former titled has been enforced on me by my father for years."

Kerrigan didn't say the words that came to her mind.

Nova snorted, and the two ghosts smirked a little.

"Well now that introductions are over," Jim moved closer to the table, pressing a small button on the side. It summoned an image of Aiur, Selendis seemed a little surprise by the display; she hadn't expected the home world to be on the top of the priority list. "We have a problem," Jim looked over to the Protoss woman. "Care to explain?"

"_The Zerg infestation on Aiur, was thrown into brief disarray when the Queen of Blades was defeated,"_ She began, _"Numerous observers were able to slip past their overseers that float in high altitudes. Their chaos was a blessing, numerous Protoss that have managed to survive on the planet's surface retaliated and have reclaimed the province of Nurak."_

"That's good then," the doctor questioned, a little confused. "Isn't it?"

Selendis nodded. _"The problem lies not with the reclamation of Nurak, but the chaos was short lived. While other broods in Terran space still roam uncontrolled, those on Aiur had regained their composure."_

"Could the essence of the Overmind be controlling them?" Horner asked, crossing his arms. All eyes inevitably fell on Kerrigan.

"_What say you, former-Queen?"_ Selendis questioned, narrowing her eyes.

"The Overmind is dead." Kerrigan stated, "It didn't have the capabilities to resurrect itself from its rotting corpse, Sekhmet made sure of that."

"Sorry," Valerian interrupted. "The goddess Sekhmet?"

"No, the cerebrate." Sarah replied. "It's the name it chose. I personally sent her there to make sure the Overmind couldn't re-emerge."

"Because it would threaten your control." Warfield added.

"_So, could these hybrids and this dark voice Zeratul spoke of be the cause of this?"_ Selendis now moved on, excepting Kerrigan's answer. Cerebrates didn't waver from their Overmind's control very often, in fact she only knew of one who had ever done so, and it wasn't by its own will.

"The voice was a whisper," Kerrigan countered, shifting a little. "It wasn't powerful enough to take over any Zerg."

"One of those nasty Hybrids took control of a tribe of Protoss," Jim spoke, as he looked back at his friend. "Could one of those do it?"

"I doubt it."

"_Are you saying the Zerg possess stronger psi then the Protoss?"_ Selendis growled, her hands flexing.

"No." Kerrigan bit back another insult. "I'm saying the whisper I heard wasn't nearly strong enough to attempt direct control yet. And if we go on Zeratul's evidence, a hybrid presence would have to be on Aiur to assume control. Did your observers detect any hybrids?"

Not wanting to admit defeat, the Protoss moved on. _"Then we can assume it's another Zerg taking control, could it be this Sekhmet?"_

"I sent Sekhmet to Tarsonis, Aiur is a little out of the way." Kerrigan retorted. "I began evolving the Zerg differently than the Overmind, it's possible another powerful strain has noticed my absence and taken control."

"Can they control the swarm with precision?" Warfield question cautiously.

"No, at best they could unite them so they won't tear each other apart, and make things run smoothly for a time. There would be little organization if the brood assaulted anyone, however, the closer you get to the controlling Zerg-"

"The more organized the critters get." Raynor sighed, rubbing his temples. "Just our luck."

"Eventually," Kerrigan continued, "The controlling Zerg might evolve, and their control will grow more defined."

"_Then we strike quickly."_ Selendis beamed at the chance of striking a crippling blow to the Zerg on her beloved home world. _"And they should be once again thrown into chaos."_

The former-ghost nodded. "From there you'll have to act quickly to stop any others from assuming control."

"_Aiur will be purified."_

"This _purification_," Dr. Hanson scowled, eyes darting to the proud alien. "Wouldn't be similar to the act you attempted to perform on Haven, would it?"

"_Tch,"_ The Executor scoffed, turning her head away. _"You're people were infested, and they needed to be cleansed..."_ Selendis looked back at her, half-curious, half-antagonistic. _"How is that cure coming along?"_

"It's coming." Dr. Hanson lost a little ground, looking sheepish.

"_As I thought, the infestation cannot be cured with medical procedures."_ Her blue gaze fell on Kerrigan. _"Not even the Xel'Naga's might could cleanse the taint from the former-Queen."_

_You're just jealous I have hair._

Selendis looked surprised by the counter, and Nova looked amused.

"Anyway, that's our main objective." Jim interrupted the mental bickering he was sure was taking place. "Prince Valerian will return to Dominion space, specifically Korhal, and ensure the public he's alright and what's he done." He paused, eyeing his most hated-enemy's son. "Don't go to mentioning Kerrigan's alive though."

"I'll inform my father the Queen of Blades is dead." He stated. "He should accept this, of course, you realize this means he'll focus his attention on you."

"What happened to reforming the feared terrorist?" Jim countered.

"I can tell him you were an asset, but past dealings may have robbed you of any pardon."

"Nova's a Dominion ghost," Dr. Hanson pointed out, eyeing the unfamiliar woman. "Why is she even in this briefing?"

"Nova's proven her worth when dealing with Tosh," Raynor assured the doctor. "Don't worry Ariel, she's alright."

_Ariel?_

"_That's her name, Doctor Ariel Hanson, Raynor saved her on Agria and helped her again when your infestation appeared on Haven."_

Sarah glanced at Nova briefly. _They aren't...?_

"_He's quite attached to you."_

A small smile, that went unnoticed by the group, broke onto her lips. Nova just looked at her, that taunting smirk on her lips.

_Oh shut up._

"_Didn't say a word."_

"Warfield, you'll take your forces-"

"What's left of them..." He grumbled somewhat, shooting a look at his former enemy.

Kerrigan let out an irritated sigh. It was no wonder that the Queen got irritated with politics so quickly.

"-And clear out the infestation on Agria." Jim finished, holding in a frustrated growl. "From there keep clearing things out, but leave Tarsonis alone. Dr. Hanson will accompany ya, she knows that planet like the back of her hand."

"And me?" Nova questioned, she already knew Jim's forces along with Kerrigan were going to Aiur with Selendis. Zeratul had agreed to meet them there.

"Go to Dead Man's Rock," He ordered. "I got a feelin' that someone there might know about the final spectres, and we can't have time bombs runnin' around. After that, join up with Warfield, we'll message him once we secure Aiur's stability."

"It's decided then," Valerian smiled coolly, "If that's all there is, I should take my leave. My father will be anxious to see if I survived."

As he left, a couple of guards escorted him. No doubt that there were specific instructions not to let him see any part of the ship that was deemed vital. At least she wasn't the only one who was mistrusted in the group, she hadn't sensed any deceit from the Prince, but that definite Mengsk flare had been present.

"Nova, go wait on my ship." Warfield ordered. She nodded, and quietly moved out, a ghost Kerrigan had even realized was in the hallway appearing and following her, weapon ready. "Alright Cowboy, anything you didn't want Valerian or Mengsk's lackey to hear?"

"Right now, we're focusing on controlling the rampaging Zerg and Aiur's unified infestation." Jim assured the man, who was moving for the door. "If anything changes, we'll tell you."

"You better, I don't like being left in the dark."

General Warfield was the first to leave and not be escorted by someone. Kerrigan found that somewhat interesting, before she turned her attention back on the group.

"Arcturus will get what's coming to 'im," Raynor assured the rest. "But Zeratul warned us about this impending doom, so I owe him." He looked at Selendis. "He wanted Aiur restored, and that's what we'll do. Give the Protoss a strong foothold and maybe even kill a baby Overmind in the process." The Executor seemed to enjoy the thought of that. "After that, we focus our attention back on Mengsk."

Jim turned to Kerrigan, giving her a comforting look. "I don't want to put you so close to the Zerg again so soon, but Zeratul thought Aiur was as good a place as any to talk to you."

"It's fine." She lied, thankful that Nova was gone. "Just don't expect me to be there when you kill this controlling Zerg..."

"You'll be safe in Nurak." Jim smiled.

"Safe..." She mentally noted the Protoss's hate for her. _Oh yeah, being surrounded by aliens who want me dead, I feel safer already._

"_Shall we get under way?" _Selendis spoke up, ignoring Kerrigan's thoughts. _"I'm anxious to see the home world again, in particular the brave warriors who liberated Nurak from the Zerg."_

"Sure," Jim nodded, issuing Horner to get going. The man nodded and quickly left, quietly telling Ariel to follow, so she could join the General on his ship. When they were gone, the rebel commander turned his attention to his ally. "Don't go to mentionin' she was the Queen of Blades."

"_I will keep this secret,"_ She nodded slowly, and began to graceful step for the door. _"Only because some of the others may not be able to control their hate for the wretched Queen."_

"That's all I'm askin'."

* * *

So...

I wrote all this, and decided that I would go read some SC fics. Much to my dismay I discovered another fellow here on decided that Aiur was indeed, the way to go. I'm telling all you readers this because I don't want it to appear I was copying. I did no such thing, I made the mistake of reading other fics after I had wrote this beginning. Usually I read a bit before hand, so I can avoid this sort of scenarios, all I can say is... _Damn_.

And I apologize for the similarities, rest assured the stories will differ much otherwise. As even the reason the group of heroes is returning to Aiur, differs quickly. So again, I'm very sorry for this inconvenience, if any was caused. I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Also, I cannot say how often I will update this. _Breathe _takes priority, but the fancy to write something that isn't Final Fantasy related hit me hard, and since one of my other major game loves is StarCraft, I decided it was worth a shot.

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter _Innocence_.


	2. Chapter 2

Firstly, let me apologize for the severe delay. Short story: I have a life, I have issues, I have a job. I'm so sorry they all got in the way, but that's just the way it goes sometimes.

Thanks to all of you for the comments and your patience. In particular, thank you Ragnarok666 and axely. You both sent me PMs about the wait, and I'm very sorry you had to wait so long. Hopefully the following chapters won't take me nearly as long to produce.

**Drifting**

* * *

Setting foot on Aiur was strange for everyone. Both Jim and Kerrigan had similar memories of the planet; blue flames as the proud civilization of the Protoss burned and fell, the Zerg swarming over every inch of the planet.

Kerrigan remembered feeling the hundreds of Zerg, turn to thousands, then millions in a remarkably short time. However she was in no danger, as the all-consuming monstrosities that made up the swarm spread outward, like a wave of death and decay. She had been safe after the initial invasion, opting to stay near her father, the Overmind, as he rooted himself into the planet.

Raynor didn't share the sort of amazement. He remembered the swarm, and he remembered what it was like to try and outrun the spreading creep, not just the creatures. He had watched many of his own men and the protoss get dragged away, in one particular scenario, a hydralisk had rose up from the dying earth, and grabbed a hold of a proud zealot-

It had tugged him under, he had kicked and screamed out with his mind for aid, but Raynor hadn't been close enough. No one had.

It was also odd being on the surface of the planet outside of his suit. Despite the taint that covered Auir, the air was refreshing, perhaps because this little speck of no-where was clean, the grass, while a gross yellow and probably near-death, was there. The creep had retreated, and the only remnants of the Zerg that were near was the rotting hive structures that were thankfully downwind, zerg corpses, and Kerrigan.

Raynor watched her, Kerrigan's back was to the fledging Protoss colony, instead she looked out over a sea. She hadn't shown much emotion when it came to the slain Zerg. That had sent mixed emotions through him; on the one hand, it was good because it didn't anger her to see her past brethren dead and beaten, but the callousness of which she just dismissed the entire thing, it seemed like something the Queen would do.

_Great. _Raynor frowned, trying to decide whether to talk to her or not. _Queen or Kerrigan? _

"_Neither._"

Jim nearly jumped, turning around quickly to glare at Zeratul, who was hunched slightly in the darkness of the put-down drop ship. The warrior stared at him, bright green eyes glowing as he moved closer, into the light. His dark skin had a strange sheen to it, which wavered and disappeared over the many scars and marks the templar had.

"Thought I made it clear, I don't like people in my head." Jim frowned, crossing his arms. "And what do you mean, neither?"

"_She is not the Queen of Blades, that is clear. Nor is she the Kerrigan you remember."_

"How do ya know that?"

"_If she was, would you be questioning it now?"_

Raynor wasn't one for conceding defeat often, but Zeratul was one of the few he didn't mind losing too. He uncrossed his arms and just gave a shrug, trying to discard the issue before the alien pried a little too deep. Zeratul's eyes moved from Jim to look at Kerrigan, and despite having little to no psisonic ability whatsoever, Raynor could feel the conflict in his friend. He frowned, trying to think of something to comfort the Protoss.

"Hey she-"

"_Nothing you say can bring me peace." _Zeratul cut Raynor off.

"I just don't want us tearin' each other apart is all." Jim grunted. "We got bigger problems."

"_You need not worry," _the alien moved away from him. _"Of all the allies you have made, I am the least likely to betray you."_

"Who's the most likely?"

Zeratul stopped, he thought over all the faces he remembered from the files and Selendis's description. As much as the proud woman didn't want to admit it, Kerrigan wasn't high on the list of likely traitors anymore. No, it came down to other humans, which was the most disappointing fact about all this. The Zerg were blatant in their dislike for other races, but the one possible Zerg ally they had, was in no state of mind to betray anybody, nor did she have the army even if she wanted too. Selendis, while enraged by the fact the swarm had destroyed her home and the mighty Khala religion, had calmed since her initial meeting with the former Queen of Blades. No, the two biggest threats was the Prince, someone Zeratul hadn't had the pleasure of meeting, and a ghost named Nova.

Ghosts were bound by forced, artificial loyalty to their governments, so the Templar would pardon any betrayal on the woman's part. However, that would not stop him from slaying her, if it was deemed necessary.

"_The Emperor's son..." _Zeratul muttered- something that Raynor found amusing. Something about telepathic muttering made the dangerous warrior a little less threatening. _"But you expect as much."_

Raynor wanted to ask about Kerrigan, but something about that felt unwise. While Zeratul was a good and loyal friend, wasting his time on frivolous worries seemed a bit dangerous. The Dark Templar always carried himself with such weight and determination that Jim always worried that if he hindered the man's path too much, he would just cut the rebel leader down without much thought.

"_I will tell you how it goes."_

"Just..." Raynor paused before he finished his sentence. "Nevermind, hope it goes well."

"_As do I."_

Kerrigan grimaced, even with the inhibitor on her; she could feel the psisonic strength moving closer to her. Her eyes were still outcast towards the water, choosing to take some comfort in its purity. The Zerg hierarchy had never paid much mind to the waters of worlds, and though the image of a swimming Zergling was both amusing and somewhat horrific, it didn't hold much promise. She supposed she could find some massive fish and incorporate it into the swarm, maybe to just cover the bases but…

What purpose would it serve?

"_You accepted my offer."_

The gravelly voice interrupted her thoughts. Zeratul was probably acutely aware Kerrigan had been ignoring him, choosing to wander off in thought rather than engage him in a conversation.

"Yes."

"_Did I interrupt your thoughts?"_

"Yes."

"_I apologize."_

Kerrigan didn't answer, turning slowly to face the Protoss warrior. Last time they had run into each other, Hydralisks and the Queen of Blades herself had greeted him in the old tombs. Ulaan had been an interesting world; but she had blank spots in her memory regarding that moon, like the Queen had chosen to shield her from seeing it. What had been so important?

"What did you find on Ulaan?"

Zeratul paused, but didn't let his surprise show. _"Zerg."_

She rolled her eyes. "That I remember."

"_You cannot recall events from Ulaan?"_

"No."

Another pause, Kerrigan frowned. "What?"

"_I sense that device in you." _Zeratul stated, touching his chin for a moment. _"It is called an inhibitor for a reason, I assume. It must be removed, or at least deactivated."_

"Removing it is a mistake," The woman narrowed her eyes. "And deactivating it is no wiser than your last suggestion."

"_We must-"_

Kerrigan took a step back, her body growing tense and defensive. "I said no."

"_Very well,"_ Zeratul nodded, before he removed the strange, alien bracers on his arms and let them fall to the floor. Glowing green eyes met the woman's suspicious ones, and for a flicker of a moment, the Protoss swore he saw something far more cunning behind the human's irises. _"I will attempt to deactivate it, use any and all skills, to prevent me."_

Sarah felt anxiety flutter into her chest. "What?"

There was no time for questions; the warrior was upon her in seconds, his age having literally no bearing on the speed or power behind his strikes. Kerrigan barely had enough time to roll back, her old ghost training rocketing to the forefront of her mind as he swung, attempting to smack her in the head. A playful hit, she imagined, but it didn't take much for a great fighter like Zeratul to fry the only thing keeping her psisonic powers in check.

Regaining her footing, she side-stepped another attack, refusing to attack back as he swivelled around, taking a few light steps before he charged.

And disappeared?

"Shit-" The curse just escaped her mouth as the man reappeared, mere inches from her, another swing incoming. Kerrigan brought her arm up to block, and then she felt the force behind the attack. Even if it wasn't meant to kill her, it _hurt_. She let out a growl, refusing to give ground; she pushed back, holding back a snarl.

"_You hold back your instinct." _Zeratul spoke plainly, and vanished again.

Kerrigan stumbled forward as the alien hit her from behind, forcing her onto the ground roughly. _"A Zerg that doesn't strike an opponent, what a curious sight..." _

"You're toying with me…" She grumbled, jumping back onto her feet. "Why?"

"_Because had this been a true battle, you would be dead already."_

"No."

"_No? You've managed to block one hit-" _Zeratul ran forward, faking a left, he leapt right and kicked Kerrigan square in the side, sending her crashing into the shallow waters of Aiur. _"Would the swarm follow such a feeble creature?"_

Anger rushed over her, boiling up from somewhere dark. She glared up at the alien, the first born maggot that had caused her so much trouble before-

_No… _Kerrigan gulped, shaking the thoughts away. _That's not me…_

Zeratul was there again, attempted to stomp down on her chest. Kerrigan rolled deeper into the water before she propelled herself up, catching an incoming hit. Flashes of memories erupted in her mind as they duelled, his pace increased, and hers did as well. It was like she had fought him before; his moves were suddenly so predictable. She could sense something then, something from him. It wasn't worry, it wasn't fear, but it was maybe, a faint note of nervousness.

She had no doubt this felt all too familiar to him.

Well here was a new trick for him, then.

She leapt up, her own psisonic power catching her in mid-air to hold her there for a second. He looked up, surprised from the sudden show of power.

And she kicked out, as hard as she could. Her bare feet slammed hard into Zeratul's chest, and the thump was probably heard by the workers nearby, as a few looked over. Of course, the sight of the great Protoss warrior tumbling into the sand, eyes wide with surprise could've caught their attention as well.

He was done, and her muscles were tingling. Her blood felt like it was fire and standing still made everything ache, every movement he made, from his fingers twitching, and the mere muscles in his legs contracting to lift himself off the ground were noted. Her nostrils flared, taking in the scents of Aiur, and she recognized some of them.

Zeratul was up, but he could see her demeanour changing. Zerg instinct was trying to take over, and while in theory that's what he and the others wanted, something about that cold, calculating stare from the woman was unnervingly familiar.

"_Still you do not strike me."_

"You were defeated." Kerrigan stated her voice shaky a bit as the strange, Xenomorph adrenaline raced through her veins. "Round two belongs to me."

"_And round one, to me." _Zeratul readied himself. "_Round three, to decide the victor."_

Sarah wanted to reply, but instead her body just moved. She raced forward, charging straight into him with the power of a charging zealot, and the two were suddenly thrown to the ground. Kerrigan was distinctly aware of the punch she had received to her gut, but there was no pain, just a slight throb of something… less; as irritating as an itch.

It didn't matter, all she wanted was to tear the Protoss limb from limb and move onto the next.

Jim frowned, he hadn't intentionally gone to watch the duel between Kerrigan and Zeratul, but somehow he had ended up back near his commanding ship. He stood there, arms crossed, head slightly to the side as he watched. Sarah had moved so fast that it probably could've put a Zergling to shame, and his old friend hadn't dodged it. It was like he wanted to work Sarah into a dither, which, if he remembered correctly, wasn't a bright idea.

And he couldn't help but notice that the angrier Kerrigan caught, the more her Zerg portion took over, the more violent the Zerg got. The attacks had suddenly tripled, and no one doubted it had something to do with the fight.

But were they coming to try and help, or simply feeding off whatever psychic energy Sarah was emitting? She didn't have enough discipline to command them.

Either way, this fight had to end soon or the lines might not hold… Not that the Protoss would ever admit that.

"You going to break them up sir?"

Jim looked back at Matt, who was watching with a quiet, contemplative expression. "Matt, I don't think there's a force in the 'verse that could break those two up now…" He paused, and smirked. "Not a chance in hell, by the way. I might not be the brightest, but I'm not downright stupid either... Go get Stetmann."

"Stetmann?" Horner looked confused. "Kerrigan didn't like him when she was…" He glanced back at the quickly escalating fight. "Calm."

"He'll know what to do, just go get 'im."

"Yes sir…"

* * *

Selendis hadn't appreciated when Hierarch had ordered her away from her initial responsibility of safeguarding Nurak. It had taken much of her control to prevent her from showing her blatant rage in front of the warriors under her command. Still, as she moved about the gold and blue halls of the _Shield of Aiur_, she couldn't help but let flickers of her true emotions hit her kind walking past. Some dared to glance at Executor, maybe some even were looking for the chance to ask her what was wrong, but no words were spoken.

Not until she reached the private quarters of Artanis himself, where he had just removed the grand helm he wore in the presence of the others. There her mind made him falter, with a sudden influx of anger and words that should never be spoken to any leader.

"_Executor, though I welcome honesty, I would ask that you restrain yourself."_ Turning to face her, his eyes narrowing in response.

"_All that has happened has been an insult!"_ Selendis roared, causing her staff to ripple and glow with energy. _"Why have you delayed my return to Aiur?"_

"_Because I wish to be informed on what happened aboard the _Hyperion_."_ His noted the energy travelling to the staff, and decide it best not remove the gauntlets just yet. _"Was Zeratul present?"_

"_No." _Selendis noted, crossing her arms. _"The Prelate hides in shadows and probably the void itself, why would he appear on Raynor's vessel?"_

The hierarch didn't answer, simply looked away and began to type away with one hand on a cerulean energy screen. _"Just a curiosity. What of the meeting?"_

Selendis thought for a moment, sheltering her thoughts from him. _"Raynor agreed to help us liberate Aiur from the monstrosities."_

Happiness washed over the young man, and he looked happily at his friend. _"Good news, finally… What of Kerrigan? Is she slain?"_

"_The Queen is… dead." _

"_You seem uncertain…"_ The Hierarch neared the Executor. _"Is something the matter?"_

"_Just, the Prelate's prophecy, of doom for the galaxy…"_

"_We have be rid the wretched Queen herself, and the Terran will now war against each other, not us."_ Artanis chimed, resting a comforting hand on the shoulder of Selendis. _"As our race unites, we will be able to overcome any trial."_

"_You're enthusiasm is reassuring Hierarch." _

"_Go to Aiur,"_ Artanis nodded, pulling away from her and back to the screens that displayed information Selendis couldn't quite make out from where she was standing. She could see something about a planet, and the notable signals displaying a Terran presence, but nothing else. _"Help our people, and ensure Raynor survives, perhaps if we have some ships to spare we can help him slay Mengsk."_

"_Yes Hierarch,"_ Selendis turned from him then, and hurried out the room. _"En Taro Tassadar."_

"_And to you, Executor."_

The Executor wasn't exactly sure why she had lied about what had happened on Char, but for some reason it felt unwise to speak the truth to Artanis. No doubt he'd eventually learn the truth, but for now everything was settled. The Hierarch would remain at Shakuras, and perhaps travel to other, less hospitable worlds, but it was safe to assume Aiur was not high on his priorities.

Artanis had made it his calling to unite the people, as Zeratul who should've truly accepted that responsibility did whatever the Prelate deemed necessary.

She stepped into the shuttle's bay, nodded to the two Templars who greeted her. She listened as the bay ramp slid shut and the automated machine began to move, out of the grand mother ship, and back towards the beautiful carrier that was her true home. As much as she enjoyed being onboard the once forgotten mother ship and numerous other vessels, only her flagship, _The Amaranthine Star _felt like home.

"_Executor, you seem troubled." _One of the Templars spoke quietly, not wishing to anger her.

"_Uncertain," _she corrected quickly, pushing her thoughts to the back of her mind. _"However, we can now resume course for Aiur."_

"_It will be done." _

She nodded, suddenly finding that sometimes, being surrounded by Terrans who rarely had the ability to read minds, was preferably.

* * *

Round three, wasn't over, and now it was getting slightly ridiculous. Raynor found himself worrying that one of them would end up dead, as now it seemed like a grudge match. Neither was fond of each other and this sparring had given them excuse to kick the living hell out of the other. Stetmann had appeared, with the control mechanism of the strange contraption that Jim had requested.

"You ready?"

"Won't she uhh," Egon gulped, scratching his head. "Get angry?"

"What's wrong?" Swann smirked; his mechanized limb was holding the strange, mushroom like contraption. It had numerous lights, and the top wobbled a bit, like it was supposed to be spinning. "'Fraid of a girl, Stetmann?"

"Correction: I'm afraid of the hyper-evolutionary adrenaline currently running through her veins. She's probably as strong as Raynor right now, and me getting into the mix would only promise my certain death, and possible strength increase by nearly tenfold... Interesting theory but-"

"Shut it Stetmann, I don't need a biology lesson." Swann grumbled.

Jim rolled his eyes, "Just activate the damn emitter."

"Hold on," Swann pushed the device into Jim's hands. "I'm not holdin' that when it's gonna attract her attention."

"For the love of…" Jim frowned, glowering at the two. "Just activate it-"

"But Jim it'll-"

"Stetmann," The commander interrupted, obviously irritated by the two. "Just do it."

"Alright..." The lanky man gulped, and pressed the black button on the controller. The device in Raynor's hands immediately began to hum and spin, its lights all blinking different colours before they synced. The top spun slowly, matching the blinking almost perfectly. "Attempting to lower aggression... Now."

He turned a dial, and they all watched.

Kerrigan could feel something in her mind, trying to draw her attention away from her fight. At first it was just a minor annoyance, but suddenly it changed. It wanted her attention, but it also made her feel far more irritated then before. She snarled, the Zerg in her fully coming out while she pursued Zeratul as he blinked past some crates.

In her fury she pushed one of the workers clear out of the way before she leapt onto the largest crate and then propelled herself down onto the dark templar. He caught her awkwardly, and managed to flip her fully onto the ground.

"_It's interfering with your thoughts, Kerrigan. How will you control yourself when the swarm rages around you?"_

"Shut up…" She growled, flipping back onto her feet, she ran at Zeratul again, tackling him into the crates from before. They shattered from the impact, and she could feel the agitation flowing off of the Protoss. "You will _die,_ templar."

"Stetmann," Raynor glared at the scientist. "I said calm her down, not piss her off."

"Trying again…"

The emitter began to spin differently, almost like it was dancing. Jim instantly noted the change in Sarah, while she still appeared agitated and feral, her attention was on the device now. She narrowed her eyes at it curiously, ignoring the recovering Zeratul as she began to walk towards the rebel commander and his friends.

Rory and Egon immediately backed away, leaving Raynor to face down the fallen queen alone.

_Thanks guys… _He thought bitterly.

"What…" Sarah spoke slowly, her eyes fixed on the machine. "What is that?"

"It's…" Jim tilted his head, watching the woman in fascination, though not nearly the same amount she was watching the emitter, but still, her reaction interested him. "An emitter."

The ghost managed to pull her eyes away from the contraption briefly, to gaze into Raynor's. "A... Psi emitter?"

"Uh huh..."

She didn't look happy, but her attention was none the less on it. "Like... Tarsonis."

"No."

"No…?"

"It's not as powerful." Jim glanced back at Zeratul, who was hobbling closer, his glowing eyes narrowed as pain shot through his bruised and bleeding frame. His eyes immediately went back to Kerrigan. "Just insurance..."

"That I won't kill you?" She was reaching out to touch it.

"No, not you." Jim corrected, just as Stetmann turned the device off. Kerrigan blinked, and stood up straight, giving the man a confused look. "Just your friends."

Kerrigan was about to respond with something snarky before she paused. She didn't feel Zeratul's presence anymore, and in worry she turned to face him. She was met with a sharp, and extremely painful bolt of energy to the side of her head, and instantly she was down; defeated.

Jim dropped the machine (much to the horror of Stetmann) and rushed to Sarah, putting himself between her and Zeratul. He glared up at the Protoss, not able to bury his worry or anger at the action.

"What the hell was that for?"

"_The inhibitor." _Zeratul responded, looking a little off. _"Its presence hinders progress."_

"She needed that, her mind can't handle-"

"I'm fine."

His attention shot back to Kerrigan, who was grudgingly rubbing the side of her head. The wound was already healing, but anyone could see she was trying to ignore the massive migraine now shooting through her skull. She shielded her eyes from the light flooding in from everywhere. Cursing her luck, thinking maybe her training would've been better on Shakuras, or Ulaan, or somewhere where it was dark and not so damn bright.

"Kerrigan-"

"Jim I'm fine, really." She got to her feet, wavering a bit before she turned for the ramp into the _Hyperion. _"Just leave it alone."

He watched her leave, and found himself annoyed. Both Swann and Stetmann had vanished, and the psi emitter with them. No doubt now that they knew what frequency did what, they would implement these devices all over the ship, just in case.

That's not what annoyed him.

It wasn't even the fact that Zeratul had fried the inhibitor...

It was the fact that he was sure as shit, Kerrigan was mad at _him. _

"Damn it…" He mumbled, and felt Zeratul move up beside him.

"_It is unwise to have feelings for her."_

"You're giving me relationship advice now?"

"_Only a warning."_ Zeratul stated, turning from Raynor as he walked off, to join his brethren further into the camp.

"Why the warning?" The man frowned, slightly confused.

"I'm unaware of any Zerg having any interest in mating. Basing it solely on the nature of the swarm, I imagine the experience to be… Unpleasant." Graven Hill offered from behind, smirking as Jim turned around, surprised by the mercenary's sudden appearance. "You never know though, she is mostly human, it might just be… rough." A chuckle escaped him. "My advice? Go for the doc."

Raynor coughed. "When did you get here?"

"I left the ship as soon as Kerrigan stormed on board, threatened her escorts, and then headed for her quarters." The man shrugged, watching Jim chuckle a bit. "Honest answer? Never been to Aiur, wanted to see it."

"Not so honest," Raynor noted. "What're after?"

"Nothin'." Graven shrugged. "Curiosity."

"Just don't go pissin' off the locals," the two of them looked over at the proud Protoss, and past them, they could just see a confused horde of monsters not knowing what to do. "Either of them."

"Noted." He smiled a tad, though it was as cold as the man liked to seem to be. "Maybe they need some Mercs."

Jim rolled his eyes and headed for his ship. "I'm sure they'll appreciate the sentiment. Some hired guns roaming around their beloved home world and all."

* * *

Kerrigan ran into her room as fast as she could. Her stomach was twisting, and her body was sweating. Her head was pounding on a level that shouldn't be possible, and all around her she could hear thoughts. She didn't recognize any of them; all were foreign voices dancing in her head, and the more she tried to focus on her own, the more her migraine worsened.

Is this what Zeratul wanted? For her to suffer like this?

Justified, but not necessary, simply existing was enough torture, if she was honest with herself. It didn't sadden her, or cause any sort of overwhelming guilt that spawn suicidal thoughts, it just… was a fact.

She had to live with the knowledge that she wasn't human, wasn't truly a Zerg anymore, and definitely not a Protoss, and probably would never be their friend.

At some point in her mad tangent of thoughts and dizzying realizations, she had shut her quarters doors, and now was frantically stripping off her clothing. Off came the boring tones of her worker outfit, and she now stood in a frigid room, clad only in simple undergarments.

Clothing, was… Frustrating.

_Useless crap. _She growled inside her skull, managing to find her own thoughts in the chaos as she flicked off all the lights and hurried for her bed. _Why couldn't we just grow a carapace of something? _That thought should've horrified her, but instead it made her snort. _Maybe I'm more Zerg then Stetmann thought. _

She slipped into bed, pulling the cool covers up and over her body and then her head. In the darkness of her comforter cocoon, Kerrigan found herself breathing a little easier. Her migraine was still at it, but it seemed the more she tried to relax and just… Ignore it; the more it faded into the background, becoming something she could grow accustomed too.

It was then she realized her heart was pounding.

_Am I scared? _She thought, completely lost on the idea. She hadn't really felt fear in a while, and even if she was, what the hell was she scared of? _Nothing, because there's nothing to be scared of-_

The knock on the door made her jolt, but she didn't move. Instead she clutched her head, as the surge of energy made her head ache all the more.

_Fuck._

Another knock, before she grumbled and slunk her hand out from underneath her covers to press the button on the wall near her. She felt it click and heard the door open, but she didn't emerge. Instead, she slipped her arm back inside the cocoon and waited. The clunk of the boots and scent of a particular commander gave who it was away.

"Sarah?"

_Fucker…_

The blankets moved a tad, as she lifted up some of them to peer out. She didn't reply at first, watching the man move in the dark uncertainly.

"What're you afraid of Jim?" She replied, and immediately his attention was on the bed.

"That I've pissed you off."

"As I recall, you were good at that." She retorted dryly. _Stupid pig, go shoot yourself out of an air-_

"Yeah..." He noted, a little quieter as he leaned against the doorframe into the bedroom. "You've always been a hot-head though."

_Urgh._

"I'm curious; did you come here to see what's wrong or to just irritate me?"

He had a snarky reply, something that he would've said when they first met all those years ago on Antiga Prime. However, saying them at this exact moment would be all together unwise. Instead he kept silent, listening to her grumble something about how he was annoying as she shifted and sat up, clutching her head as she emerged from underneath the covers.

"Are you alright?"

"I told you I'm fine."

"Kerrigan-"

"I also told you to _leave it alone._"

"Sarah the last time I left you alone, you were turned into a fucking Zerg!" His temper flared, and his mouth moved before he could think about exactly what he was saying. "So don't tell me to leave it damn well alone!"

Kerrigan's mouth opened just a sliver, perhaps in shock at the outburst. Then he saw it, rage flaring up in her eyes that made them dimly glow amber, it looked down right unsettling in the darkness, and he knew he was about to regret his outburst-

Then the comm. sounded.

"**Raynor to the bridge."**

'_Timing...' _Jim thought, turning from Kerrigan and hurrying out the door. He stopped at the entrance daring to look back at the woman. "I..."

"Get out."

With a held in sigh, he left.


	3. Chapter 3

From the shadows I return! Admittedly I was lurking for a good while, my hiatus caused by a combination of blockage, lack of inspiration, and getting my life back in order.

Now, I am going to be bluntly honest, and I apologize to those who get upset over this.

The updates my take a while, or take no time at all. I write in splurges, when one of these glorious splurges strike… I'll write two, three maybe even four chapters in a go. One of the problems I had before were repeated PMs from readers telling me in quite a rude fashion that I should update quickly, with no regard for what was going on in my life. I am going to make this abundantly clear:

I do not write on demand, I do not write for rewards, for praise, for the readers, for money, for reviews or any other reason people can possibly think of.

I write because I love writing. Don't take this the wrong way; I greatly appreciate your reviews, opinions, constructive criticism, emoticons, and other various forms of informing me of things. But if you expect me to write on demand for you, then I'm sorry that is not going to happen.

You're more than welcome to send me PMs asking, _politely_, if the next part is coming, a few of you have. I have tried to answer – but if people send me impolite PMs and messages regarding my speed, or my personal choices then you'll get no reply.

Now, I'm sorry to those who are not guilty of being pests. But this had to be said.

Without further ado! The next, long await chapter of Innocence! 8D

**Innocence**

_- 3 –_

**Aiur – 00:16**

* * *

She had been on Aiur for years.

She… it had only been recently that she had really any grasp of being an individual. Individuality had little role in the Swarm, one's thought weren't personal; they weren't unique in idea or implementation. They were all working towards the same goal, and the thoughts that had once reached her were just the faint echoes from a greater force, trickling down through the the minds of the swarm until they had reached her.

Her - another more personal notation… a name to fit the new thoughts brewing in the strange skull.

Zek'Abra.

A little while ago, the Swarm had been torn asunder. The Will, the indomitable will that once fuelled the limitless swarm had fallen silent. There had only been a shriek of anger, horror and pain that had shot through the minds of all creatures before it was abruptly silenced. A cry of anguish that Zek'Abra recalled in the recesses of her mind that it was remarkably similar to a Terran female's screams.

Then silence.

Horrible… horrible silence…

In the silence, madness took over… Zek'Abra had only been so lucky that she was a new strain of Zerg Queen, her mind, while terrified and lost in the darkness of nothing, was not broken. As her hive cluster chose to try and tear itself apart, she had fled from the craziness. Her gangly, insect-like body had hurried across the creep until she met rough, dry, dead soil.

Alien to her, for she had never wandered so far from her nest.

She had disappeared into the dark, moist caves near the shoreline of a lake. Deeper and deeper into the darkness she crawled until she reached a portion where the soft growing moss and cool, fresh water glistening with faint light gave her comfort.

It was quiet, but not the terrifying silence that had torn into her. It was a beautiful quiet, the serenity of a new world.

And then they came - a handful of zerglings, two hydralisks and a single drone.

They looked at her with curious eyes, and suddenly she realized that the glow was not the familiar orange, but a soft, humbling green. Zek'Abra offered no response to them, even as they body language and minimalist thoughts echoed in her skull. She simply looked down, and caught her reflection in her gaze.

Her eyes were glowing the same green, but a little brighter.

Slowly she looked up, the tendrils on the back of her long head twitching.

"_D-direction…" _One of the hydralisk slithered forward, looking at her. _"Need… direction…"_

Thoughts, even they - those that would be deemed lower than her on the scale, had faint ideas. She could tell the creature was uncomfortable with it, but didn't hide from it. The rest, the rest were not so fortunate. Their thoughts were more instinctual and less individualistic.

"_What is your name?" _Zek'Abra asked. She had had time to grapple the challenge of strange independent thoughts and the very basic of personalities.

"_I have… no name…"_

"_Then give yourself one."_

The hydralisk was a tad larger than the other, with more armor and a great scar across his face. One of his cruel looking claws was cracked and broken and his carapace a much darker hue of red and brown.

He took a moment, starring at the ground in thought.

"_Skarr…"_

Zek'Abra rose up, her tendrils twitching madly.

"_I am Zek'Abra, and I am your Queen."_

She had begun to rapidly evolve until now. She had grown larger, with more limbs and a heavier carapace. Her mobility was limited; with a much larger abdomen that would spawn creep itself. The substance oozed from her via open valves. Stronger, thicker legs had grown, stabbing into the roof of the cave and walls, suspending her clear off the ground as to not step on or wound the larvae scuttling about under her. Her tendrils had grown in number and length, hanging down so that they reached the floor and the cool pools of water.

And in the peace, she had begun to reign in the rogue brood. Skarr had taken the role of field commander, growing a bit as to establish his own dominance within the warriors. The protoss were nothing but an unfortunate happening, one that could be corrected once she had gained more control over the hives.

The cave bustled with life - drones, structures, zerglings, hydralisks, eggs, roaches… All functioning in perfect harmony – no, they didn't number in the millions outside destroying each other, but they were different.

They were hers, and they were smart, much smarter than they had been before.

If the monsters out there would not listen to reason, then she would destroy them and wipe clean the world of their simpleton minds and empty ambitions.

But then it appeared.

It was nothing to be concerned of - not at first. In the back of her mind, she could feel something. It wasn't slimy or instinctual, but it was familiar. It was like before, it was the faintest echoes of The Will, though it was raw compared to the grace it had once carried. Zek'Abra found no comfort in the reformation of The Will however… It was broken and weak, barely able to even register in her mind.

It was forsaken – the Swarm didn't tolerate the weak, and if the Will could only manage to reach the power of a larva, then Zek'Abra would not suffer its existence.

It had chosen to emerge nearby, that was a mistake.

Her eyes began to glow, and using all her mental might she gave all the chaotic Zerg near her home one final order.

"_Kill the Protoss… Kill the Terran… Kill them all."_

The ground trembled – the Swarm was on the move.

* * *

**The Hyperion – 01:19**

* * *

"… _Kill them all…"_

Kerrigan was awake, eyes wide open, the warmth and childish safety of her blanket cocoon not helping her in the slightest. That thought hadn't been hers, but it had resonated within her mind like the protoss. But it wasn't tame like Selendis's thoughts or Zeratul's. It was feral, sounding more like a final command then anything.

Forcing her eyes shut, she thought about the voice - trying desperately to remember anything that went along with it.

"Come on…" Sarah groaned, grasping her head in both hands. The darkness of her eyelids was all that was met. "Come on…"

Her focus was all over the place, this is what Zeratul had been on about.

'_To hell with him, I can do this.'_

Anger mixed with determination, and suddenly there was a place. She could see through the eyes of something smaller and less psisonically adept then whatever had sent the message.

Zerg.

Hundreds of zerg all marching in a single direction.

"Christ!" She yelped, eyes snapping open as she threw off the blankets and floundered out onto the floor.

She hopped, skipped and nearly tripped over to the pants and tank top sitting on the chair. She lacked any sort of grace getting dressed, forcing herself into the black cargos and throwing on the matching black tank before she bolted for the door and rushed past her surprised escorts.

Sarah discovered two things as she hurried towards the bridge:

The escorts did not appreciate when their charge left them behind in the halls and corridors.

She could run really, really fast.

Running wasn't the only discovery in that area however. Two engineers got in her way; she had leapt up, grasping the edge of the ceiling support bar with the tips of her fingers and swung herself over them. She landed with the elegance one would expect from her training, barely making a sound as the balls of her bare feet smacked back down onto the metal floor.

She could hear the escorts' frantic cries on the comm as she slid into the elevator and slammed the shut door button.

"She's headin' for the bridge!"

"Stop the lift!"

Panting, Kerrigan couldn't help but smirk at the failed guards as the door slid shut just before they reached her.

She didn't realize it was a smirk reminiscent of the Queen of Blades.

The bridge door hissed and opened, and Raynor turned to see a rather frantic looking Kerrigan hurry inside. She ignored all the guns trained on her, paying them little to no mind as she approached the commander of the vessel. The man simply crossed his arms, not quite knowing what to expect considering their last spat.

"In a rush dar-"

"The zerg are going to attack." Kerrigan interrupted, not interested in what Jim had to say.

Jim blinked, Matt Horner stepped forward. "How do you know?"

Kerrigan looked at him. "There's no time for me to explain, there's a whole brood heading straight for us."

Jim looked at Matt and nodded. Horner hurried to one of the control boards, opening up comms with some scouts they sent out earlier.

"George, do you read me?"

"_Read ya loud an' clear."_

"Is there any zerg movement?"

"_Roger just went out to check, give me a sec…" _There was brief silence, before the comm flickered back to life. _"Nah Captain, not a thing out here but-"_

An explosion echoed through to the bridge of the Hyperion, which had fallen eerily silent.

"_Where the fuck did they come from! Holy shit! Fire! Fire damn it!" _

"_They got Roger!"_

"_Ace! Fall back!"_

"_AHHHHH-"_

"_Jesus Captain, they're everywhere-"_

The comm fell to silence, and Horner slowly disconnected from the scouts.

"How… did you know?" Jim looked back at Kerrigan.

Sarah then realized all eyes were on her. She opened her mouth to speak, but no explanation she could offer would give them comfort. It took her a couple of seconds before she forced herself to answer.

"I'm zerg." She stated, knowing it was something that no one in the room wanted to hear. "It was a command, a weak one… but one that the leaderless zerg would follow, if only to have a purpose."

"What was the order?" Horner questioned.

"Kill them all."

"She probably gave the order!" One of the frantic ensigns on the bridge pointed accusingly at her. "She did it!"

Kerrigan frowned.

"She wouldn't-" Jim tried to talk reason but the man cut him off.

"Don't give me that! How many times has she stabbed you in the back? Hell how many friends have you lost to her? We brought her to a world with a whole bunch of zerg lookin' for a damn leader!" He stepped towards Kerrigan, looking far more crazed and deranged then a zergling. "She'll kill us all by the-"

The ensign crashed to the floor, his cheek quickly turning red and his nose slightly bent out of shape from Raynor's fist. Jim stood above him, fists clenched; he had put himself directly between the pathetic mess on the floor and the woman standing behind him.

"She is _not_ the Queen of Blades." He stated, flatly, looking at everyone in the room. "The Queen of Blades died on Char, is that clear?" People slowly nodded, and then Raynor's eyes fell to the ensign. "I did this to save your skin kid…" he glanced back at Kerrigan. "She may not be the Queen of Blades, but if you do that again, she's gonna kill you… and I'm not goin' to stop her, understand?"

"Y-yes sir…" the ensign grumbled, nervously looking between Raynor and Kerrigan.

"Now get up, and get back to your station. George's team was thirty minutes out, we have to warn the protoss and try to be ready."

Zeratul was quiet as he listened to Raynor and Kerrigan, the three of them stood out in the darkness of the night, where the alien nearly became invisible due to his natural affinity for stealth and illusion. His bright eyes seemed near eerie in night. He focused on Raynor as the human spoke, saying how he had already sent as many men he could spare to the front lines, and that SCVs were constructing bunkers.

"_We will be hard pressed to survive an onslaught of hundreds of zerg."_ Zeratul noted in a dark tone. _"Do you have any mines to spare?"_

"Already loading them into the vultures." Jim crossed his arms, he had known he would have to put on his massive suit of armor on this planet – but he hadn't expected to do it so soon. He frowned, looking at the ground as he thought. "Sorry Zeratul, but we didn't come equip to fight hundreds of those buggers, not like this…"

"_I understand."_ The protoss nodded to his friend, before his attention was drawn fully onto Kerrigan. _"I would suggest equipping her for battle, Raynor… we will need everyone ready for combat."_

Sarah looked to Jim. "You have my suit?"

"Not the exact one, but as close as we could get." Raynor smirked. "I'll have Rory show you where it's stored, then come see me, alright?"

Sarah nodded. "Alright."

"_How is your migraine Kerrigan? Raynor was concerned at how it was causing you considerable pain."_

Zeratul's question surprised her, and she paused. It hadn't even dawned on Sarah that the migraine had disappeared, that she felt completely and totally normal, or as normal as someone with psionic abilities could feel. She could sense the thoughts of the humans closest to her, and could even pick up on the subtle feelings that emanated from her alien companion.

"It's gone." She admitted, slightly sheepishly. "I didn't even realize…"

Zeratul's expression lightened, if only a tad. _"I must give credit to your zerg physiology, for neither human nor protoss would've recovered so quickly."_

"How do you feel?" Jim questioned, mildly concerned that the zerg DNA was affecting her somehow.

"Fine." Kerrigan countered, only a tad defensively. "I feel like I did when I was human." She picked up on his thoughts. "Relax Jim; I think if I was a bit more on the zerg side, Zeratul wouldn't suggest arming me."

He snorted. "I'm pretty sure readin' peoples thoughts is an invasion of privacy."

Zeratul and Sarah just looked at him.

It suddenly dawned on him that this was definitely the wrong two individuals to talk to about this matter.

"Forget it…" He muttered, admitting defeat.

"I'll go find Rory." Kerrigan nodded to them both and hurried back onto the ship, leaving the two there alone.

"We should use the Hyperion as a fallback position," Jim broke the conversation away from Kerrigan and telepathy. "It has weaponry and a lot of room, we can load up as many as we can and escape, if that's what it comes too."

"_I will instruct Khal to prepare to hold the line as long as he and his warriors are able."_ Zeratul nodded. _"Reem will have the second line, if his line begins to break, we will fall back to your ship."_

"When is Selendis due back?"

"_A few hours…_" Zeratul could sense the anxiety dancing around Raynor's thoughts. And the same thoughts had also crossed the dark templar's mind. _"I hope it doesn't come to a battle of attrition, we do not have the man power to hold off that many zerg and wait for rescue…"_

"We have one nuke." Raynor scowled, "I hope to hell it doesn't come to that, but we have one, if we need to buy ourselves time."

"_The last thing I want is to irradiate New Antioch,"_ Zeratul admitted grimly. _"But if it between that or oblivion, I choose the warhead."_

"No offense to ya but I don't trust you, or Raynor's decision." Rory Swann grumbled as he led the ex-evil-doer towards the storage cell. He didn't know what quite fit Kerrigan anymore: before her transformation into the infernal Queen of Blades, she had been an ex-confederate, then when she had been mutated: she had become an 'ex-ghost' or 'former ghost'… As it stood now, she was an ex-Queen-of-Blades-ghost-confederate-but-potential-backstabber...

Ignoring the trivial thoughts of the mechanic, Kerrigan rolled her eyes. "You forgot about Zeratul. It was his idea."

"Yeah well, he's an alien; I guess it ain't so personal to 'im."

Sarah found herself frowning. If anything, it would probably be far more personal to the dark templar then any human besides Jim. She had helped the Overmind infect Aiur, she had twisted his Matriarch, overpowered him numerous times, killed his friend and ally Fenix…

"Right…" Kerrigan didn't feel like arguing about the issue, but couldn't help but make a snap. "I'm sure Zeratul has absolutely no reason to find what I did to his entire race personal."

Rory glared at her. "Keep it up kid. You'll never get your suit."

Her eyebrow raised a touch, and the mechanic simply murmured curses and began to unlock the cell door. The door let out a distinct hiss and slowly slid open, revealing a single dull-grey table with a psi-sensitive suit lying on it. She approached it slowly, not having expected to see another operative uniform for a while, it almost seemed alien to her.

'_Tight clothes… Fantastic… I'm sure I'll enjoy this as much as I enjoy socks…'_

"Where did he get this?" Kerrigan looked back at Rory, gave her a solemn look.

"It was a gift meant for you, before uh… Tarsonis… I bet he meant to give it to you after the fall of the Confederacy."

Sarah looked back at the suit sadly. She suddenly didn't know what to think of it, only that she would've greatly appreciated the gesture back then. As the door to the cell began to close, her lips moved, letting a single quiet word escape.

"Jim…"

Protoss scouts had just confirmed that the zerg were ten minutes out. Raynor scowled, leaning over the briefing room table, trying to think things through. Any aid there was, had been provided. The Protoss fleet orbiting Aiur had dissipated to only a few ships, all of which had given any support they could without endangering themselves (though they all claimed they would come running if New Antioch fell into trouble). Selendis was hours out, all his forces were scattered throughout the sector, some fending off Mengsk, others keeping Dr. Hanson safe… and he couldn't go asking Warfield or Nova for aid, chances being that Warfield would be off protecting the Prince and Nova…

Well… it was Nova. As much as Raynor wanted to trust her, she was still a Dominion ghost.

"That's gonna bite me in the ass…" He murmured, hunching more, resting fully on his forearms.

The briefing room door opened, and his eyes flicked up.

Kerrigan stood before him, casually entering in her new suit. The psi-sensitive stripes glowed dimly, pulsing every so often. The woman looked at him, her neutral face changing to something of concern.

"You don't think we'll make it."

Raynor snorted. "Read my mind?"

"Didn't have to." She stated as she approached the table, watching him stand up straighter. He flicked a switch on the side of the desk – a flickering projection of New Antioch and some of the land on its border appeared. Most of New Antioch was walled off or cliff-face, the rest of water save for one narrow entrance the zerg would be forced to funnel through. Sarah paused, trying to think of something to inspire him. "You've made it through worse."

"Like what?"

"Mar Sara," Kerrigan replied, offering him a small smile. She began to move around the side of the long center table, eyes watching the projection.

"Had more men." Jim countered.

"They're not led by me," she tilted her head as she looked back at him. "They won't use strategy; they'll come at us head on."

Raynor sat up, letting out a hiss of a sigh. "Don't wanna seem like a downer here darlin', but the zerg before you were never too keen on any sort of tactics either… and they won plenty of battles."

Kerrigan frowned as she stood next to Jim, who just looked away. "Is your morale always this low?"

"Only when I'm faced with bad and worse options."

The ghost didn't let out a sigh or roll her eyes; she just stared at the commander. He found it hard to hold her gaze, though her eyes were human, a soft shade of gracious green… they had a predatory glare to them, feral and vicious, waiting for a moment to strike. Kerrigan had always been a predator, if he thought about it… but when mixed with the wild of the zerg, it was taken to a whole new level.

"You helped the protoss escape Aiur, against thousands of zerg you managed to get quite a few of them through the portal to Shakuras." She crossed her arms and shifted her weight.

"Not everyone-"

"The point isn't to save everyone." She interjected, glaring. "The point is to save as many as you can - if that happens to be a nation or just a single man, it doesn't matter. You tried, and all you can do is try." Suddenly she was smirking, and shook her head at him as she turned away. "Jesus Jim, when the former Queen of Blades has to remind you of what you're fighting for…"

Raynor snorted. "Alright, you made your point." He turned away from the table for a second before placing a long, slender case on top of it. "I got you something."

Kerrigan pivoted around curiously, her eyes flicked to him, but all she could get was a jumble of forced surface thoughts. The ghost neared the case and slid it towards her, touching the clasps gently. "It's not a bomb, is it?"

"Oh shut up and open it." He smirked; watching as the woman undid all four of the locks carefully and slowly lifted the lid. Kerrigan was so cautious opening the container, Jim was half-convinced she really thought it was a bomb.

The woman was speechless.

"I… but… It can't…" Kerrigan gently lifted the rifle out of the case. It was a C-10 sniper rifle, with a grey body lighter than most standard varieties, it had a few small dents, and a long paint scuff on the stock and near the muzzle was a small, roughly painted spade outline. "How… where did you find it?"

Jim thought about the location, unable to hide the emotions tied to it. "Tarsonis… I wasn't going to let that hellhole keep it."

She smirked as she lifted it open, remembering the weight of it. She glanced down at the fresh clips in the case and gave him a glance.

"You trust me with a loaded weapon?"

"I don't trust anyone with a loaded gun," Raynor countered, giving her a coy smile. "Not even my own mother."

"Aren't you a charmer…" She loaded the rifle so fast; it was like she had never lost it.

As the map of lands surrounding New Antioch began to beep, both of them looked. Raynor had made some of his men quickly put up a few sensor towers at key areas, as the time of night made visual reliability a joke. Jim let out a gruff exhale, as Kerrigan kept silent. Her expression was of stern discipline, one expected from a ghost.

Raynor's was annoyance, he didn't want to fight, but round two of this war had found him.

'_Well, at least it ain't Mengsk…'_

Kerrigan didn't let her expression waver, but she had heard that last thought.

'_Son of a bitch is going to pay…' _Her eyes narrowed as she turned for the door. _'Come hell or high water…'_

* * *

**Aiur – 01:34**

* * *

Khal wasn't the most known of the high templar. He hadn't long been of the prestigious class when Aiur fell and his people were forced to run from their beloved homeworld. But the name Khal was known in a few close-knit warrior groups as a fearless and vicious battlemaster. Word of his tenacity spread when he began to form his own little clan of merciless warriors.

So when Zeratul had told Khal that he was the front line defense for New Antioch – the high templar hadn't been so surprised. Despite training himself in the more difficult arts of the psi, he hadn't lost his love for the brutality of his psi-blades. Maybe it was a tad primitive for such a notion, but it brought him joy, to be caught in the thick of the fight, so he wasn't going to freely abandon it.

"_Templar,"_ one of the zealots addressed him. _"They're coming; the humans say they are only a few minutes out."_

"_Can you not feel the ground trembling?" _Khal questioned, stepping away from the blue glow of the pylons powering the defense cannons, and into the darkness. _"Aiur herself resonates with the taint."_

"_There is… something else…" _The younger of the duo stepped up next to the high templar, eyes darting either way nervously. His thoughts became obscured; he didn't want the others to perceive his worry. _"There have been rumours, that the human commander Raynor… he trusts a female of his kind to fight along with us."_

Khal was quiet for a second, mulling over the information. _"Does Zeratul trust her?"_

"_I believe so."_ The zealot was taken back when Khal put his large hand on the young alien's shoulder.

"_If Zeratul believes she can be trusted, then it is not our place to question it." _Khal turned back to the darkness and rose his hands into the air, five feet away from the line, he began to display his power.

Psisonic energy danced its way up his arms, crackling like the wildest of lightning; it spread outwards, dancing around the templar. It illuminated his brilliant golden armor, with precious khaydarin crystals encrusted into his breast plate and wrist guards. The blue aura of the display danced on his dark grey, near charcoal coloured skin.

In brief flashes it lit up the shadows, showing the dangerous horde of monsters which were barreling down on them.

His troops moved up behind him, and watched as the once silent photon cannons sitting up hidden on the ledge of the main wall sprang to life. Wicked orbs smashed into the unsuspecting faster zerglings, blasting them apart like nothing.

"_This is our home!" _Khal cried, his thoughts echoing in all minds: not just protoss but human and probably zerg alike. _"Stand tall and strong, for the enemy knows not fear or mercy! En taro Adun! En taro Tassadar! And above all else-"_

The voices of the zealots behind him rang out bravely._ "Our lives for Aiur!"_

A storm of psisonic energy ripped out from the templar then, unforgiving, unstoppable arcs of lightning shot through the nearest zerg monstrosities, carrying through them, the power hopped from creature to creature, severing limbs and plates of carapaces from the animals.

A bold rush of zealots overtook the high templar. His students, comrades and soldiers put under his command hurried to meet the enemy. They were to hold the zerg as long as they could and to kill as many as possible. Khal's own psi-blades blazed to life and he focused his power, his body transforming into psi-energy, propelling itself forward until he was mere inches from a hydralisk.

He reformed and severed the zerg's head, its body flopping down onto the ground uselessly.

Aiur would not be lost, not again.


	4. Chapter 4

Innocence

- 4 –

**Aiur - 01:57**

"Headin' to the front?"

Kerrigan looked up at the banshee pilot as she stepped into the aircraft's belly. The ghost nodded, not speaking a word as she took a seat next to a rather nervous looking medic. The bulky armor of the other soldiers made the operative look a little out of place, but none of them dared questioned her place there as she fixed a laser-targeter onto the side of the rifle's barrel.

"Strap in," the pilot ordered as she flicked a switched and caused the banshee's side door to slide shut and lock. "It's gonna be a rough ride."

This is where you could see the veterans and the greenhorns. Three of the marines and Kerrigan didn't bother, knowing that if the thing crashed: that was it. There was no living through it, but the medic and the other two marines followed the pilot's orders. The banshee's rotatory blades whirled to life, drowning out the distant explosions of the frontlines.

"Gonna kill me some buggers." One of the greenhorn marine's laughed, his face hidden behind his darkened visor. "Fuckers never gonna see me comin'."

His suit was a very distinct shade of blue - the Zerg weren't the brightest bulbs in the pack but they weren't damn well colour blind either. Kerrigan just let a tiny smirk shown through her cool façade and leaned back, shrouding her face in shadow.

"What's your name?" One of the veteran marines questioned, looking over at the rather vocal soldier.

"Teddy D. Ramsbureau." He boasted proudly.

"Teddy, have you ever seen a Zerg up close?" The older man had tan skin, probably from spending days on planets like Mar or Chau Sara. His suit was a slick grey, with enough scratches, scuffs, dents and dings for three soldiers. His left shoulder mount was larger than the other, and had a bright red star painted on it.

"Well, seen 'em been dissected."

Kerrigan snorted, and she wasn't the only one to do so.

"Hey!" Teddy looked over at the ghost. "Shut the 'ell up! You guys never get into the thick of things."

Sarah didn't say a word. She wondered how many of the people in this ship knew who she was.

"Kid, Zerg aren't like puttin' down a rabid dog or Rhynadon… They can think, and if this is the way you intend to approach them, they can outsmart you in a heartbeat."

Kerrigan could feel an inkling of doubt in Teddy's mind.

'_They can outthink me?'_

Sarah's faded smirk was turning far more sinister. Zerg could easily pick up on fear – it was instinct to attack the weak and fearful. If the enemy feared, they would make mistakes. Her light sneer was covered by darkness however, which was an advantage.

"You serious?" Teddy questioned, still managing his cocky tone.

"Zergling are about as smart as a pack of bangalaas. Hydralisks can problem solve and keep up with an average human…" The older soldier's voice turned grave. "They bigger they get, the smarter they are. Not to mention the floaters - overlords are damn well brilliant. They order about all the little ones, keepin' em all mostly in line."

'_They're just animals… they're just animals…' _

Kerrigan looked over at one of the other marines with a battle or two under his belt. "There's some that can get into your head, turn you against your allies…"

She could nearly smell the fear pouring off of Teddy then.

'_Oh shit! Fuck damn! No way!'_

"Ya lyin'!" Teddy called, just as the banshee rocked from a nearby explosion. They were landing, and soon enough the greenhorn would get witness what it was like the fight the swarm.

Kerrigan was first off, leaving the others there as she disappeared into the rush to reinforce the frontline.

Teddy stepped off the banshee, and watched it fly away with a slow gulp. He looked towards the line that he was meant to support. The wind picked up and the filters of his suit couldn't hide the iron-heavy scent of blood, and the ground was trembling from the explosions and numbers of the heavy.

"Kid!"

Teddy looked over to his right. The older soldier from before was waving him over.

"Kid git over 'ere! I'll watch your back!"

He moved to join the man. "What's ya name?"

"Just call me Riggs." He laughed and slapped Teddy's suit on the shoulder. "Let's show these alien bastards what Terrans can do."

* * *

Kerrigan had felt the ground tremble with the movement of Zerg before; of course, almost all those experiences had been win she was leading the monsters… this particular experience was far more along the lines of New Gettysburg… The ground had trembled then as well, and all before her men and women began to fall as the vicious Zerg stampeded towards them. No thoughts other than to destroy anyone or anything in their way.

Now, the Zerg were at it again. Unrefined movements and little thought in the matter of how to accomplish a goal. Sarah froze for a second as she stepped up next to a photon cannon guarding the entrance. Her heart was pounding, and she felt strangely vulnerable being there.

Her eyes focused on a zealot, bravely dealing with four Zerglings before he was attacked by a roach. The monster was going to win, its acid had already burned through what was left of the Protoss's shielding and now only had armor to deal with.

Kerrigan moved, lifting her rifle up and gazing at the creature through the scope. It sprayed another stream of acid onto its victim and the zealot stepped back, flailing as to try and get it off. The roach charged, madly scuttling towards its floundering prey.

Between heartbeats, she fired.

There was a short and loud 'pop' of her rifle firing. The roach's head exploded, with the body slumping and twitching a second afterwards.

The zealot paused, his gaze shooting to her.

He said nothing to her, but issued her to follow. Kerrigan did so; he probably knew where ranged combatants were needed most. Hurrying he pointed to the cliff wall, and turned towards the Zerglings now charging for them.

"_I will guard you human, get onto the ledge and keep my comrades and I covered." _He then leapt back into the fray, his shields having recovered a bit, he mercilessly cut down his opponents as Kerrigan climbed. Reaching a narrow ledge, she nimbly perched and took aim.

A Zergling coming up behind the fearless zealot fell dead as she blew its brains out.

More zealots joined the first, a group of four proceeding to tear apart any opponent that crossed them. She could tell they were more than grateful for her assistance – Hydralisks and roaches that tried to flank them were dead before they ever fired a spine or sprayed a volley of acid. Occasionally she had to move forward, keeping within distance of her quad of warriors. It wasn't long before they were one of the few groups that were so far from the frontlines they didn't have any support from the few dragoons or photon cannons stationed there.

That's when Sarah saw the problem.

A whole rush of Zerglings, too many for her to keep them all covered. The way the land was laid out, her allies wouldn't know until it was too late.

"Shit…" she murmured, trying hard to focus on the zealots. But they were fighting, constantly moving and their minds were probably far too distracted for her measly attempt at telepathy to reach them.

Kerrigan stared down at the stampede of Zerg before her.

"… Jim's gonna kill me…" She joked to herself, before she stepped forward and slid down the cliff wall, firing at and killing the Hydralisk below her. She landed on its corpse, pushing off of it and sprinting towards the zealots. Kerrigan blindly fired at whatever creature crossed her path, leaping over a Zergling that barreled in front of her.

'_What's the likelihood of you reaching the zealots in time and then outrunning the rush of lings to the frontline?'_

She grimaced.

'_Not high.'_

Self-preservation, it was trying to overtake her.

"Hey!" She cried over the screams and roars of the Zerg. They didn't look; she frowned, hurrying closer even as every part of her told her to turn the hell around. "HEY!"

One of them paused, looking towards her in confusion.

"_Are you not supposed to be covering us?"_

'_See? They're brave, they won't run. Leave them!'_

"There's a wave of Zerglings coming!" Sarah shouted, nearing him. He reminded her of Fenix - the same skin tone, same orange-glowing eyes and similar facial structure. "I can't cover you against hundreds of them!"

His eyes narrowed and looked at the others. "_We must fall back."_

A female Protoss glared at him fiercely. _"Why? Because some human female tells us to?"_

"This human female has been saving your ass this entire time." Kerrigan snapped, catching the woman's attention. "Don't be an idiot and stay here, you'll die."

"_We retreat." _The one she addressed before commanded. _"Now!"_

There was funny sort of saying with humans. It applied quite heavily to the Zerg, though Kerrigan imagined it had existed long before then.

'You don't have to run fast, just faster than the guy behind you.'

A terribly appropriate saying for the current situation.

They were the first small group to begin their retreat, the others took a minute or so to realize what exactly they were running from. The last part of this brash Zerg wave was frenzied Zerglings that had evolved wings to help them move faster.

Every time anyone in their odd little group glanced behind, they would see a retreating zealot, high templar or stalker fall into the mass of razor teeth and claws. Occasionally there were blue flashes, but Kerrigan had no idea what that was.

Kerrigan's comm crackled to life.

"_Kerrigan?" _It was Horner's voice. _"Where the hell are you?"_

She nimbly bounded over various corpses from all three races. She pressed her two fingers to the small button on her neck. "Are there siege tanks on the frontline?"

"_They're not deployed, the Protoss don't want us blowing their men-"_

"Deploy them!"

"_I can't-"_

"Listen to me Horner, if you want there to be any fucking Protoss left at all you will deploy those tanks!" She glanced back and glared, a Hydralisk was about to fire on a high templar. She spun around, firing three shots that slew the creature. It fired one spine blindly in its death flail, which shot into the shield of a passing zealot. Pivoting again, she went back to running for her life.

The silence seemed to last an eternity as Matt made his decision.

"_This is Horner - all siege tanks, deploy siege mode and commence bombardment immediately." _There was a pause. _"Kerrigan you better be right about this."_

"_Help!"_

Kerrigan felt her body slow and stop as she heard the female Protoss's voice echo in her mind.

"_I require aid!" _Sarah looked over to her; the Zerglings were all around her, cutting her off from the others who had continued her retreat. The warrior over to Kerrigan, the only one who had stopped due to her pleads. _"Please!"_

The ghost thought about it, perhaps a second longer then she should've. Her eyes flashed with orange fury in that heated second, before she raised her rifle and fired.

One Zergling fell, headless.

Sarah kept firing.

Two… three… four Zerglings all dead on the ground.

The fifth Zergling was downed by the zealot herself, with the covering fire the ghost had provided had taken much of the attention off the wounded Protoss. She sliced the creature right in half, before rushing to Kerrigan's side and severing another's head as it attempted to flank the human.

"Come on," Kerrigan began to run again, pelting bullets into Zerg in front of her, the warrioress at her side cutting down any that dared to get impede their path.

They made it back to frontlines, just as the tank barrage began.

* * *

"Yeeehaaa! Hell yeah!"

Teddy had opted not to leave the frontline, and Riggs had agreed. Teddy was new - it wasn't wise to take someone like that far out there. It was better if they stayed here and learnt where to shoot the buggers. It wasn't long before the kid was easily picking off the Zerglings.

"This ain't so bad!" Teddy called, laughing as his target was pounded by bullets and crumpled.

Riggs had to admit, the kid had a talent for killing Zerg.

"There's a Hydralisk!" Riggs called, pointing out the thing. "Aim for its chest!"

"Wouldn't it be better to aim for its head?" Teddy questioned, taking aim.

"You think you can hit it?"

The Hydralisk's head was the part of the creature that moved the most besides its arms. It was snarling and constantly scanning the area, and its brain was a small target.

"Ya gotta point." Teddy fired, and the monster screeched and fired at him, spines striking his blue suit in the shoulder. Teddy laughed and kept up the barrage.

Riggs shook his head with a smirk, and helped the kid put it down. "Never aim for a hydra's head - their brains are too small. You can kick a Zerg while it's down all ya want, but if it's still twitchin', chances are it'll heal an' get back up." He paused and looked out at the mass of Zerglings that were incoming. "Leave all that precision work to the pros…"

"Two more comin' in!" Another marine called, gesturing to the right. "Keep 'em covered!"

Marines and stalkers worked together to keep the Zerglings at bay as Kerrigan and her companion rushed to safety. As they reached their allies, they slowed, the zealot hobbling over to her own kind, but she looked at the ghost kindly.

"_Thank you human, I will not forget this."_

Kerrigan was panting, bent right over trying to catch her breath. She could feel her body shake with the adrenaline it had pumped out to aid her escape, and all she could do was manage a weary smile at the Protoss. The zealot seemed to accept this and limped off, probably to get treatment. Kerrigan on the other hand, was greeted by none other than Teddy from the banshee and the veteran marine.

"You alright?" The older man questioned. "You ran a good way to get back 'ere."

"I'm fine." Kerrigan managed, slowly straightening out as her body began to calm down. She caught Teddy staring at her hair, and she scowled. "Something the matter?"

"Huh?" Teddy waved his hand. "Uhh nah, sorry…"

Riggs chuckled. "Don't mind 'im, he's new. Probably don't know who you are."

"You do?" She questioned.

He nodded. "I was on Char when it happened, one of the men backin' up Jim in the hive."

"Oh…" She couldn't pick up any of his thoughts; obviously he had dealt with telepath's before. "What's your name?"

"Riggs, you've already met Teddy… Teddy show 'er a little respect, she outranks you."

Teddy immediately straightened up. "Err, sorry ma'am!"

Kerrigan smirked, picking up all his panicky thoughts. "He's just messing with you Teddy." She mocked a salute to the greenhorn. "Is that it for the wave?"

Riggs grunted. "First part yeah, but couple of wraith pilots spotted a bigger mass makin' its way here." He gave a thoughtful pause, his visor lifting to show his stern, old face. "Don't suppose you could help with that eh?"

Kerrigan shook her head.

"Eh, worth a shot." His visor lowered. "Come on kiddo, we gotta re-arm, let's leave the lady to her business."

As the two marines walked away, Sarah couldn't help but look back on the bloody no-man's land she had been running around in. Aiur had seen so much violence, and now it was enduring more of it. A part of her wondered if the ground would ever get rid of the stain of blood and ichor pooling on it now.

'_Maybe after a while…'_

In the chaos of battle, she had learnt something. Whatever had ordered the strike had wanted her in particular dead. Trying to survive, she hadn't put much thought into it, but now, in the calm… she felt herself twist with anger inside. She stepped towards the bloodied land, eyes glowing orange as she stared towards the horizon.

Maybe she wasn't at her strongest right now, but she would be damned if she went out in silence. The Queen in her roared up, and she snarled an insult the Aiur bloodsucker would hear.

'_I'm still here, you bitch.'_

* * *

Zek'Abra was furious.

Now, admittedly anger wasn't a new emotion for a Zerg, but anger motivated by her own person was definitely a new feeling. Zek'Abra had easily picked up that remark, and it had enraged her that even for that minute the Will had managed such strength. She had been certain that the army she had sent would've at least managed to slay what was left of the former swarm ruler, but apparently not.

"_I will end them!" _Zek'Abra mental scream was accompanied by an echoing snarl in her cave, summoning heavily armored roaches to her side. She concentrated on messaging her field commander, who was off skewering a hive cluster of rogue brood. _"Skarr, you must aid the rampart swarm, find a way to distract the Protoss and Terran… make sure not a thing survives."_


End file.
